Hudson Swafford birdied on No. 18 to take a share of the clubhouse lead with a 7-under 65 on Thursday in the first round of the RBC Canadian Open.

Swafford two-putted on the par-5 18th to separate himself from a crowded top of the leaderboard on a rainy day that softened the fairways and greens of the normally firm Glen Abbey Golf Club.

“It’s gettable. It’s about as gettable as I’ve seen this golf course but it’s in great shape,” said Swafford. “The greens are perfect. So you can make some putts. I was just trying to give myself as many chances as possible; if the ball was 30 feet or two feet.

“That was the main concern today, just get it on the greens. Felt great with the putter. Really rolled it beautifully.”

Brandon Hagy was also 7 under, ahead of a five-way tie for second at 6 under. Tyrone Van Aswegen, James Hahn, Smylie Kaufman, K.J. Choi and Bubba Watson all shot 66.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was the low Canadian from the morning group, firing a 5-under 67 to enter a seven-way tie for eighth.

“If you hit it in the fairway, you can be aggressive,” said Hughes. “The few fairways I missed, I was just trying to make par and you have to be a little bit defensive.

“All in all it was a great day. Probably could be a bit better but I made a couple nice par putts, too. Overall, happy with my start.”

Amateurs Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint Hillaire, Que., and Austin James of Bath, Ont., were at 1 under while Jared Du Toit of Kimberely, B.C. Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., finished their rounds at even-par 72. Toronto’s Daniel Kim was 1-over 73.

There are a total of 17 Canadians competing in the national championship.

Jennifer Kupcho shot a 4-under-par 66 at Cutten Fields on Thursday to head into the final round of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship with a four-shot lead.

For the second time in three rounds, Kupcho carded a score in the 60s to move her to 9 under par for the tournament. Her third round came as a relief after Wednesday’s even-par 70 left her feeling like she missed out on a lot of opportunities.

“I hit my irons a lot better today, a little bit closer and in the right areas of the green,” she said, after signing a couple of golf balls for some volunteers. “I had my putter going today and that just helped me out a lot.”

The 20-year-old from Westminster, Colo., started the round in a tie for the lead with Lilia Kha-Tu Vu and the two duked it out for much of the day. After the 14th hole, the two remained tied at 7 under par for the tournament until Vu’s par putt lipped out and left her one back of Kupcho.

“I guess it gave me a little bit more confidence, but you just have to keep going the whole day and see what you can do,” said Kupcho.

And she did keep going.

Heading down the final four holes, Kupcho – the highest ranked golfer in the field – made birdies on holes 16 and 18 while Vu added another bogey on the final hole.

Vu ended her day with an even-par 70, placing her into a T2 tie with Mexico’s Maria Fassi who stayed red-hot with another fantastic round on Thursday.

Fassi shot a bogey-free, 5-under-par 65 to continue her ascension up the leaderboard. The top-ranked amateur golfer in Mexico made five birdies during her round including back-to-back birdies on holes seven and eight.

“It’s a great feeling,” she said. “I’m really comfortable off the tee and on the greens. I’m making good reads and my distance control has been really good these past two days, and I think that has helped me to make some of these putts.”

The 19-year-old has fully rebounded after her disappointing 8-over-par 78 to start off the championship. Since then she has carded just one bogey and 14 birdies as well as locking in a new course record at Cutten Fields with her 8-under-par 62 on Wednesday.

“I’ve been a lot more patient these last two rounds and have been able to forgive myself for the shots I don’t like as much,” said Fassi. “I think the first day I was in a constant fight with myself and these last few days I’m just taking what it’s giving me.”

Kupcho, Vu and Fassi will make up the final grouping while Rachel Heck (-3), Hira Naveed (-1) and Jaravee Boonchant (-1) will tee off in front of them

Canadians Susan Xiao (Surrey, B.C.), Grace St-Germain (Orleans, Ont.) and Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.) all sit inside the top 10 at even par, 1 over and 2 over par respectively.

The final round of competition will see the first groups tee off at 7:30 a.m. from holes 1 and 10.
In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.

For full results and final tee times click here.

ZTE announced today a three-year extension as official smartphone of the RBC Canadian Open, through the end of 2019. This year’s RBC Canadian Open takes place at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, from July 24-30, 2017.

This partnership is another milestone in ZTE’s ongoing commitment to invest in Canada, and is part of a larger movement to grow the company’s presence on the world stage.

“The RBC Canadian Open is a major part of ZTE’s global sports partnership strategy, and provides us with broader reach in Canada and in regions around the world,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE Mobile Devices and Chairman of ZTE North America. “Brand building relies on long-term and consistent investment, and we are thrilled to continue to showcase ZTE’s brand and devices at such a world-class event.”

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with a strong global brand like ZTE,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “I’d like to thank them for their commitment to Canadian golf and for enhancing the championship experience at Canada’s National Open Championship.”

Partnering with local sports teams, organizations and players is a strategic initiative of ZTE’s around the globe to help build awareness and affinity towards the brand.  With partnerships now in Canada, the United States, Germany, Australia, Mexico and other regions, ZTE can engage more fans with the ZTE brand in key markets around the world.

To engage with fans at the RBC Canadian Open, ZTE has the Grand X View tent, a large, covered structure set between the 6th green and 7th tee, to demonstrate its latest products including the new ZTE Connected Car Solution. There are also charging stations for spectators and daily giveaways. New this year, ZTE is offering fans the opportunity to get up close with the professional golfers through a custom-designed Player Walkway. This walkway will give fans a unique vantage point of the players walking past, along with a Selfie Mirror set up in front of the walkway. Finally, fans can also check out the ZTE Experience Tour truck, a hands-on mobile showcase of ZTE’s amazing technologies.

Lilia Kha-Tu Vu shot a 6-under-par 64 to pull even with Jennifer Kupcho after the second round of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields on Wednesday.

Vu started the day at 1 over par and didn’t waste any time climbing the standings as she birdied four of her first six holes. After she made the turn, the 19-year-old added three more birdies to her card and limited herself to a single bogey on the day.

She was relieved to turn things around after her opening-round 71.

“Yesterday I missed almost every fairway and today I hit every single one,” she said. “I put myself into a good position with my approach shots and was able to keep my ball below the hole which is good because three-putts happen when the ball lands above it.”

Kupcho shot an even-par 70 after her impressive 65 in Tuesday’s opening round. The 20-year-old from Westminster, Colo., carded 11 straight pars to start her day before she traded three birdies and three bogeys to end her round where she started earlier in the morning at 5 under par for the tournament.

Despite maintaining her lead, she was disappointed with her missed opportunities.

“I didn’t play as well as yesterday,” she said, next to the 18th green. “I didn’t hit the ball as well and I wasn’t making putts. I had a bunch of putts for birdie that just never went in and there’s nothing you can do about it. Hopefully going forward the putts go in.”

Mexico’s Maria Fassi was dominant all day long and broke a course record after her 8-under-par 62. The 19-year-old, who finished fifth at the same event last year, was frustrated after her opening-round 78 on Tuesday, but managed to turn things around to the tune of a 16-stroke improvement.

“I was just really comfortable on the greens today and everything was going in,” she said. “That helped take all the pressure off my second shots so that I could be more aggressive and really aim at the pin.”

Mexico's Maria Fassi shot an 8-under-par 62 to set a new @cuttenfields course record! 💪

Leaderboard: https://t.co/dmnhrBpbpV pic.twitter.com/bPxkJ0xSJ9

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) July 26, 2017

Fassi rode the momentum from a birdie-birdie start and only registered one bogey on the day to move her into sixth place.

“I was 2 under par after the first two holes and made a really long putt on No. 2 from above the hole,” said Fassi. “After that the hole looked a little bigger for me and I just wanted to make those putts whenever I could because you don’t get these rounds too often.”

Rachel Heck, a 15-year-old from Memphis, Tenn., carded a 4-under-par 66 to land herself in third place, one stroke behind the co-leaders. Canadian Susan Xiao shot a 71 and sits in fourth place at 3 under par for the tournament, 2 strokes ahead of Thailand’s Jaravee Boonchant who is 1 under par in fifth place.

70 players have advanced to the final two rounds of the national championship. The first groups will tee off Thursday at 7:30 a.m. from holes 1 and 10.

Team British Columbia won the inter-provincial competition after the team consisting of Naomi Ko, Michelle Kim and Gloria Usu Choi shot a combined 9 over par through the two-round event. Team Ontario came in second at 25 over par and both Quebec and Alberta finished one stroke behind to finish with a share of third.

In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.

For full results click here.

The 108th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship gets underway Thursday with 156 of the world’s best golfers, including 17 Canadians and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson set to compete for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open trophy and their share of the $6 million (US) purse.

Johnson leads the PGA TOUR in wins this year with three, and was the runner-up at the RBC Canadian Open in 2013 and 2016.

“I’ve played well here the last couple years, and you know, I’m looking forward to it this year,” said Johnson. “I enjoy playing this golf course.”

Johnson went on to talk highly of the host city, and the support he receives from the Canadian fan base.

“The fans have been great since the first time I came,” said Johnson. “When I’m out there on the course, I’ve always got a lot of fans and they are always supporting me a lot.”

When asked about the condition of Glen Abbey, the world’s No. 1 golfer had high praise for the work superintendent Andrew Gyba and his team have done to get the course ready for the RBC Canadian Open.

“It’s in perfect condition. You can’t find anything wrong with it,” added Johnson. “The greens are perfect. The fairways are perfect.”

The first round of the RBC Canadian Open starts at 7:10 a.m. with players teeing off on the first and 10th tees.

Click here to view the pairings for the first round on Thursday July 27, and the second round on Friday July 28.

Click here to view images from Wednesday’s Championship Pro-Am.

When Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor begin the opening round of the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday afternoon, it’s going to feel more like a trip down memory lane than a national championship on the PGA Tour.

They’re paired up in the first round of a tournament for the first time since their teenage years when they sometimes played together at Ledgeview Golf and Country Club. Just six months apart in age, Hadwin and Taylor grew up together in Abbotsford, B.C., and have become two of Canada’s top professional golfers.

“It might feel like just a casual round, a round around Ledgeview for us as a 15- and 16-year-old,” said Hadwin on Wednesday after playing in a pro-am at Glen Abbey Golf Course. “We’ll just hopefully go out and have some fun. Maybe have a few side bets or two. But don’t tell anybody that.”

Taylor laughed when he heard about the side bets. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

Taylor won his first PGA title at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2014. Even though Hadwin’s the older of the two, it took him a few more years to earn his first victory on the Tour, winning the Valspar Championship in March. He also shot a 59 at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January.

“We definitely have a comfort level playing with each other,” said Taylor. “I don’t think that will be a huge deal playing together, it’s playing together at the Canadian Open that will make it a little more fun, a little more memorable.”

Hadwin and Taylor are two of 17 Canadians competing in the tournament at Glen Abbey this weekend. No Canadian has won the national championship since amateur Pat Fletcher did it at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf Club in 1954.

It’s a drought that all the Canadians are well aware of.

“We’re all trying our best. Yes, we know that Pat Fletcher was the last one to win,” said Hadwin with a smile. “We know that. So we’re all trying our best to be moving forward. If one of us wins then it’s only been a couple years since a Canadian’s won.”

Hadwin is the highest rated Canadian on the PGA Tour right now, ranked 13th in the FedExCup standings. Coming just four days after the Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, it will be a depleted field on Thursday with only No. 2 Dustin Johnson above Hadwin in the standings.

Johnson feels that going from the United Kingdom to Canada isn’t that hard because the jet lag that comes from travelling westward isn’t as taxing on his sleep schedule. He’s looking forward to playing at Glen Abbey, where he tied for second last year.

“It’s in perfect condition,” said Johnson of the course. “You can’t find anything wrong with it. The greens are perfect. The fairways are perfect.

“If I drive it straight, I’m going to have a good week.”

Other Canadians in the field are Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., who will also be paired together on Thursday, as well as Ottawa’s Brad Fristch, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., Jared Du Toit, of Kimberley, B.C., Matt Hill of Sarnia, Ont., Vancouver’s Ryan Williams, Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C., Bryn Parry of North Vancouver, B.C., Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ont., and Toronto’s Daniel Kim.

Three Canadian amateurs will also be playing: Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint Hillaire, Que., and Austin James of Bath, Ont.

Last season Du Toit took the tournament by storm as an amateur, sitting second heading into the final round of play before dropping into a tie for ninth. He’s since completed his senior year at Arizona State University and turned professional.

“I don’t like setting numerical expectations,” said the 22-year-old Du Toit. “I’m just going to go out, try and play great golf and if it’s a great finish than that’s awesome and if not, that’s OK too. I’m not too worried.”

As a uniquely Canadian touch, the tee of the par-3 No. 7 hole has been surrounded by hockey boards with a hockey net, pucks and hockey sticks kept on one of the forward tees so players can stop to take slapshots before making their way around a large pond to the green.

“I hope they leave it during the tournament so we can keep taking shots,” said Hadwin. “You hit one in the water and you can kind of relax and take up slapshots or something or cross-check the caddie into the boards or something.”

Higher Ground Sports Management Inc., an athlete representation and sports marketing agency based in Mississauga, Ontario, announced today the signing of top professional golf prospect and former number one ranked Canadian amateur golfer, Jared du Toit of Kimberley, British Columbia.

A former captain of Arizona State University Men’s Golf Team and member of the Canadian Men’s National Team, du Toit made his professional debut in June after wrapping up a stellar amateur and collegiate career that included a win at the 2017 Prestige at PGA West, a tied-1st finish at the 2017 Amer Ari Invitational and a top-10 finish at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, where du Toit was low-Canadian for the tournament.

Du Toit also had the honour of being named a finalist for the 2017 Byron Nelson Award and Semi-finalist for the 2017 Ben Hogan Award, two of the most prestigious awards in college golf.

Higher Ground, who also manages the business affairs of PGA Tour winner, Adam Hadwin, and LPGA Tour player, Alena Sharp, will assist du Toit in sourcing and securing endorsement arrangements, developing and marketing his professional brand, as well as overall day to day management of the young professional’s career.

“In sport industry terms, Jared represents the total package. He is ultra-talented with a very real opportunity to be one of the top golfers Canada has ever produced,” said Higher Ground President, George Sourlis.

“But every bit as relevant in realizing success is quality of character. It’s clear to me that Jared has that in spades, which is a credit to his family and upbringing. I’m excited and privileged to be a part of Jared’s journey and look forward to experiencing many victories with him on and off the golf course.”

Said du Toit, “As I begin my professional career, it’s very important to me that I surround myself with an experienced and respected management team with a strong track record of success. George’s reputation in the industry is as solid as they come and I know we’re going to do a lot of fun and exciting things together.”

Fired up to get things going this week! Excited to join @georgesourlis @HigherGroundSM #MNP #Titleist & #Footjoy at the @RBCCanadianOpen pic.twitter.com/EfSun9i655

— Jared du Toit (@Jareddutoit) July 25, 2017

Du Toit will play in this week’s RBC Canadian Open via a sponsor exemption extended by Golf Canada, where he will also debut and showcase his newest sponsors, having secured endorsement agreements with Titleist, FootJoy Apparel, and Canadian accounting firm, MNP.

“MNP is excited to be sponsoring Jared as he launches his professional career. Jared is an exceptional young man whose success – like MNP’s – has been made in Canada. He extols the MNP values, demonstrating unwavering commitment to the quality of his game and a strong competitive spirit,” said Randy Mowat, MNP’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. ”

With conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada in 2017, du Toit’s goal will be to finish inside the top five on the year-end money list.

The top five finishers at the end of the 2017 season will receive status on the Web.com Tour in 2018. The Web.com Tour awards 50 PGA Tour cards to its top finishers at the end of the season.

Global sports entertainment leader Topgolf® and Cineplex (TSX: CGX), a leading entertainment and media company, today announced an exclusive partnership that will bring Topgolf’s sports entertainment experience to Canada. The joint venture will see the opening of multiple Topgolf venues in markets across the country during the next several years.

“Throughout the years, Canada has been the top-requested country among our fans asking us to expand outside the United States,” said Topgolf Entertainment Group Co-Chairman and CEO Erik Anderson. “We’re thrilled to continue our growth in North America and introduce Topgolf as a destination for entertainment and socializing where Canadians can play golf even when there’s snow on the ground.”

We continue to identify new opportunities to grow and diversify our business and are very pleased to introduce this incredible entertainment and sports concept to Canadians,” said Cineplex President and CEO Ellis Jacob. “As one of the country’s leading entertainment companies, this relationship with Topgolf is a natural extension of our business and leverages our existing expertise, experience and infrastructure in the Canadian market.”

Through the premium experience of play, food and music, Topgolf inspires people of all ages and skill levels – even non-golfers – to come together for playful competition. Guests can enjoy point-scoring golf games using microchipped balls that instantly score themselves, showing players the accuracy and distance of their shots on a TV screen in their hitting bay. Topgolf locations are typically three-level, 65,000-square-foot venues that feature a chef-driven menu, top-shelf drinks, big screen TVs and music in climate-controlled hitting bays for all-seasons comfort. Year-round programming includes events for kids and families, social leagues, groups, golf tournaments and instruction.

Cineplex will manage the venues’ day to day operations, working closely with Topgolf to ensure the best guest experience in Canada. Predominately known as Canada’s largest and most innovative film exhibitor, Cineplex operates in the film entertainment and content, amusement and leisure, and media sectors. In addition to welcoming more than 75 million guests annually through its circuit of 164 theatres across Canada, it also owns and operates The Rec Room, Canada’s social destination for eats and entertainment, and an online eSports platform. Cineplex is also one of America’s largest providers of amusement games and arcade solutions.

“Cineplex has decades of experience running high-volume entertainment businesses, which makes them the perfect partner for Topgolf,” said Topgolf International COO Zach Shor. “Their company culture and expertise with real estate, location based entertainment and multi-unit operations will be major assets as we work together to introduce Topgolf in Canada.”

With 33 successful venues already operating in the United States and United Kingdom, Topgolf and Cineplex are planning potential locations in large urban centres across Canada. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

Jennifer Kupcho shot a 5-under-par 65 during the opening round of the 104th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields on Tuesday.

Kupcho, from Westminister, Colo., carded seven birdies during her round and used her power to her advantage in order to shoot one of the three rounds under par.

“I think my distance really played a factor in my score today,” she said, next to the ninth green. “I think that when I’m grabbing a six or 7-iron other girls are going for a hybrid and it’s really helping me out.”

The current No. 4 ranked amateur golfer in the world plans to stick to what’s working heading into round 2.

“Going forward I need to focus on what I did well today which was to hit good approach shots and set up tap-in birdies,” she said.

Sitting one stroke behind Kupcho is 15-year-old Susan Xiao (Surrey, B.C.) who is playing in her first Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Xiao’s 4-under-par 66 was powered by an eagle on the par-5 12th hole, and she managed to limit her scorecard to just one bogey which occurred on the most difficult hole of the day, the par-4 14th.

“I finished my first nine at 2-under par so I was able to head to the front nine with no pressure,” said Xiao. “Then I had a couple of really good par saves so that really kept me calm and focused on my game down the stretch.”

Canadian National Amateur Squad member Grace St-Germain rounds out the top three competitors who shot under par for the day. Starting on the back nine, she walked off the 18th hole at 2 under par but fell down the leaderboard after carding a double bogey and bogey in her first three holes after the turn. Down the stretch, she managed to make four birdies in her final six holes to hold third place.

Seven players sit tied in fourth place at even par: Lauren Greenlief (Ashburn, Va.), Jaravee Boonchant (Thailand), Katherine Zhu (China), Janet Mao (Johns Creek, Ga.), Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.), Rachel Heck (Memphis, Tenn.) and Hira Naveed (Australia).
Team British Columbia leads the inter-provincial competition after the team consisting of Naomi Ko, Michelle Kim and Gloria Usu Choi shot a combined 4 over par. Team Ontario sits in second at 13 over par.

In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.

For full results click here.